Covered receptacle tray



Aug. 7, 1951 c. CASTELLI COVERED RECEPTACLE TRAY Filed June 16, 1949 IIIIIII 7. hp Q11 Ti INVENTOR. CHARLES CASTELLI Mwhm/w Patented Aug. 7, 1951 2,563,157 I v 1 V i I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'IY Charles Castelli, Union City, N. J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Columbia Protektosite Co. Inc., Carlstadt, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application June 16, 1949, Serial No. 99,403

6 Claims.

This invention relates to covered receptacle trays such as used for comb and brush sets and the like, and is particularly directed to receptacle trays molded of plastic resins having transparent covers for making the contents visible, for example, brush and comb sets and other toilet articles in an attractive easily accessible arrangement in use, and for transportation as a single combination article.

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve covered receptacle trays of the character described comprising few and simple parts that are readily assembled to provide an attractive combination article for comb and brush sets and the like, which shall lend itself to quantity production, which shall be inexpensive to manufacture, which shall display the contents in an attractive manner by enhancing the appearance thereof, which shall be capable of being kept in a hygienic and sanitary condition, which shall serve as shipping container for the contents ready for sales display purposes, and which shall be practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements, arrangement of parts, and steps exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of the application will be indicated in the claims following. v

In the accompanying drawing in which possible illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown,

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view taken centrally through a covered receptacle tray for displaying comb and brush sets (shown in dotted lines) constructed to embody the invention, showing molded plastic structural features thereof.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the base tray shown in Fig. 1 with the cover removed showing the arrangement of wells for positioning the comb and brush, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sectional viewstaken on lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig. 1

structure of the improved receptacle-tray.

Referring in detail to the drawing ID denotes generally a covered receptacle-tray for use in attractively displaying and conveniently arrangcomb C and a brush B as a single combination article constructed to embody the invention,

Receptacle-tray I0 may preferably comprise a single-piece base or body II made of suitably molded plastic resin, opaque colored material such as polystyrene, and a cover or dome I2 of a molded transparent clear or translucently tinted material to show therethrough said comb C and brush B removably fitted on said base I I as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. v

Base or body II of receptacle-tray I0 may be molded with a thin wall of relatively uniform thickness in various selective opaque attractive colorsto harmonize with the coloring or finish of the contents. v

As here shown, base II, may have an elongated top side I I a normally disposed in a horizontal plane and shaped to conform to an attractive arrangement of the contours of brush B and comb C which form said contents. Said top side I Ia is supported on a raised or platformportion' I lb which in turn projects upwardlyina stepped relation from a substantially vertically extending skirting side wall No, free bottom rim edgenl Id of the latter lying in a horizontal planparallel to the plane of said top side Ila for supporting the receptacle-tray ID on a suitable horizontal flat surface S.

As seen from Figs. 1, 3 and 4, said top side I Ia, platform IIb and skirting side walls He may be molded as a single relatively thin integral structure with the top side 'IIa providedwith spaced apart depressions or wells He and I If shaped and sized for receiving the comb, C to upstand with relation to the top side and the brush B having an extended handle H, re-

spectively.

Depressions or wells I Ie and I Ifeach may also be of thin walled structure integrally formed with topside'I I a, platform Ill) and skirting sidewall I I0, all being of substantially the of uniform thickness. Said well I Ie may extend m gmas the top side I Ia inwardly from a long edge IIg thereof to provide an vinvertedU-shaped cross-sectional construction between riser-wall .I Ihof platform am h t i IIb and adjoining depressed vertical wall por-.

tion Ila .of the well He thereby reinforcing and showing detail features the molded plastic 5 strengthening the ent1re structure of said base II therealong. The 'bottom wall portion-Illa of well I Ie terminates short of the plane of-skirt--.

ing and transporting toilet articles, Such as l lengthwise the top side Ila inwardly from a long edge I Im, spaced from and in parallel alignment tical wall portion II p of well II thereby reinforcing and strengthening the structure of base II therealong. The bottom wall portion IIg of well I I 1 may be shaped to conform to the contour back of brush B, so that well I closely cradles the brush B as is clear from Figs. 2, 3 and 4, bottom wall portion IIg extending at a spaced distance up from the plane of said rim edge Ild.

Brush handle H may have terminating end portion E thereof fitted into a rigid restrictive barrier hood IIr which is integrally molded to upstand from top side Ila, said hood extending over opening Us at the end of well Ilf, as shown in Fig. 1.

Said opening I Is connects the well I If with the exterior under side of the base II .as a draining and ventilating means for the well II and interior of receptacle-tray I0.

Cover or dome I2 may be made of molded material of uniform thickness and of a height sufficient to clear the comb Cand brush B when said cover I2 is mounted in effective closure position on base I I, said cover I2 being provided with a rim edge I2a shaped and sized to conform to the contour of riser-wall I In of platform I Ib against which the rim edge I2 is clampingly fitted.

Suitable friction means between said platform riser-wall Hit and cover rim edges I2 may be provided for said clamp fit and as here shown, spaced apart opposite short riser-wall portions IIt of the platform riser-wall I Ih each are provided with a boss extension Hit and long wall portion I I w of said risen-wall I In each with small spacer projections II'u. Said boss extension u and spacer rojections l'lv may be molded as an integral part of the riser-wall Hit.

The utility of the invention will now be apparent. After base II and cover I2 have been molded in form, shape and relative size, as described above and shown in the drawing, with cover I2 removed from base II, comb C may be seated in well He and brush B set into well II f, the end portion E of comb handle H being inserted to extend under the hood I In Cover I2 can now be mounted in position by seating said rim edge I2a to clamp about riser-wall Hit.

The material of cover I2 and thickness thereof is such as to have resilient properties sufficient to permit a slight stretch of peripheral rim edge I2a thereof by clamping contact on boss extension IIu, the latter having a spreading action of the vertical cover end walls I2b and thereby draws opposite side walls I20 of cover I2 against spacer projection I Iv, thus firmly retaining frictionally the cover I2 ineffective closure position. Comb C and brush B with handle H, enclosed as described above in the covered receptacle-tray III, are retained in a relatively nested position against displacement even when the receptacletray III with the contents is turned upside down.

For giving ready access to contents, the cover I2 can be simply raised from its closed position on base II against the above described frictional clamping action of the cover I2 mounting on base II.

Receptacle-tray I 0 can be readily kept clean and the contents confined with outlet opening IIs under hood IIr providing for drainage in cleaning operation and ventilation to the interior thereof.

Likewise, the comb well He may be provided if desired with a drainage opening Ila: for cleaning and ventilation purposes.

It will thus be seen that there is provided improvements in covered receptacle-trays of molded plastic whereby the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a receptacle-tray, a single-piece base :molded with a thin wall of relatively uniform thickness throughout having a platform portion supporting an elongated top side thereof normally disposed in a horizontal plane, said platform portion projecting upward on a riser-wall in stepped relation from a vertically extending skirting side wall having a free bottom rim edge lying :in a horizontal plane parallel to the plane of said top side, a plurality of elongated objectreceiving wells extending lengthwise of said top .side depressed down from said top side a distance short of said rim edge plane, said base formed with a U-shaped structural portion between said riser-wall and adjoining vertical walls of said wells for reinforcing the rigidity of said base, at least one of said wells having a through-opening at one end thereof communicating with an underside of the base, and a barrier hood extending above said opening for limiting movement of an object fitted in the well thereat against accidental displacement on moving said top side out of said horizontal plane.

2. The receptacle-tray, as defined in claim 1, in which said platform portion riser-wall is formed with spaced apart lateral extensions, in combination with a transparent single-piece molded closure cover of uniform thickness and of a height slightly greater than objects projecting above said top side when fitted in said wells, said cover having an open side formed with a slightly resilient rim edge shaped and sized to frictionally engage the riser-wall with said extensions having a spreading action for stretching the cover when in effective closed position mounted on said base.

3. The receptacle-tray, as defined in claim 1, in which said well having the through-opening and the barrier hood extending thereabove is shaped to conform to the contour of a hair brush with an extended handle lying on its back with bristles upstanding .and with a free end of the brush handle projecting under said barrier hood and over the through-opening.

4. As an article of manufacture a receptacletray for a brush and comb set combination comprising a single-piece base molded with a thin wall of relatively uniform thickness throughout having a platform portion supporting an elongated top side thereof normally disposed in a horizontal plane, said platform portion projecting upward on a riser-wall in stepped relation from a vertically extending skirting side wall having a free bottom rim edge lying in a horizontal plane parallel to the plane of said top side, a plurality of elongated wells extending lengthwise of said top side depressed down from said top side a distance short of said rim edge plane,. said base formed with a U-shaped structural por-- tion between said riser-wall and adjacent vertical walls of said wells for reinforcing the rigidity of said base, a first of said walls being shaped to receive a hair brush with an elongated extending handle lying on its back with bristles upstanding, said first well having a through-opening at one end thereof communicating with an underside of the base, a barrier hood extending over said opening and slightly above a free end of the brush handle when the latter is positioned in said first well with bristles of the brush upstanding, said platform portion riser-Wall being formed with spaced apart lateral extensions, a transparent single-piece molded closure cover of uniform thickness and of a height slightly greater than the brush bristles projecting above said top side when the brush is fitted in said first well, said cover having an open side formed with a slightly resilient rim edge shaped and sized to frictionaly engage the riser-wall with said extensions having a spreading action for stretching said cover rim edge to firmly clampingly retain the cover when in eifective closed position mounted on said base, said cover and barrier hood serving to cooperate for limiting against displacement movement of said brush bristles and handle end, respectively, when the brush is positioned in said first well on moving said base top side out of said horizontal plane.

5. As an article of manufacture, a receptacletray for a brush having a single-piece rigid base of relatively uniform thickness supporting an elongated top side thereof normally disposed in a horizontal plane, an elongated brush receiving well extending lengthwise of said top side depressed down therefrom, said well having a through-opening at one end thereof, and a barrier hood extending above said opening for restricting movement of a handle end of a brush fitted in said well on tilting said top side out of said horizontal plane.

6. As an article of manufacture, a receptacletray for brush and comb set combination having a single-piece rigid base of relatively uniform thickness supporting an elongated top side thereof normally disposed in a horizontal plane, an elongated brush receiving well extending lengthwise of said top side depressed down therefrom, said well having a through-opening at one end thereof, a barrier hood extending above said opening for restricting movement of a handle end of a brush fitted in said brush receiving well on tilting said top side out of said horizontal plane, and an elongated comb receiving well extending lengthwise said top side depressed down therefrom at a spaced distance from said brush receiving well, said comb receiving well having a drainage opening therein.

CHARLES CASTELLI.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Zadek Jan. 15, 1929 Number 

